


Don't Spare the Horses

by thecookiemomma



Category: NCIS
Genre: Episode: s06e09 Dagger, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-14
Updated: 2011-05-14
Packaged: 2017-10-19 09:21:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/199312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecookiemomma/pseuds/thecookiemomma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gibbs has more pieces in play than anyone realizes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Spare the Horses

**Author's Note:**

> Missing scene from "Dagger." Why it was so easy for SECNAV to realize the Navy server had been hacked. After all that time of not being noticed and covering his tracks, why did the people watching DOMINO notice the intrusion so quickly? Here's my take.

Don't Spare the Horses

NCIS  
Spoilers for “Dagger”  
Timothy McGee, Jethro Gibbs  
Missing Scene  
Gen

Tony was watching Lee, Ziva was tracking something else down, and Tim was sitting at his desk working on a report for a case they'd just finished. He glanced around, feeling like he was being watched.

“McGee, with me.”

“On your six, Boss.” The phrase rolled out automatically these days, though he was almost as angry at his boss as Tony was. Not quite as vehemently, but close enough. They stepped into the elevator and Gibbs flicked the switch.

“Tim, you ever watch any cowboy movies?”

“Uh, a few, Boss. Dad was a John Wayne fan. Mom watched a couple of what Tony calls 'Spaghetti Westerns.'” Tim was confused. If the boss wanted movie references, he wasn't talking to the right agent. But he knew Gibbs wasn't _that_ out of it.

“Good.” The man stood there in his pensive silence for a couple seconds, and turned to face his probationary agent. “You know how when the stagecoach'd inevitably get robbed, and they'd go after the varmits who did it, they'd ride off pretty quickly, not really caring about much except getting there?”

“Yea-ah, Boss, but – ” The boss crooked an eyebrow, and Tim fell silent again, waiting to get the explanation.

“Left more traces of hoofprints and things than they really needed. Because time was the important thing, and maybe someone needed to follow behind later.” Tim had a feeling that the man was alluding to some piece of some particular movie.

“Okay—y.” Tim was really lost.

“I want you to hack into the Navy mainframe and get the real DOMINO. Don't tell anyone you did it, and only give the flashy-thing –”

Tim interrupted him, as he felt like he was supposed to do. “Thumb drive, Boss. It's the size of your thumb.”

“Right. Thumb Drive. Only give that to me. Nobody else. Give me a call when you're done with it, and I'll come get it from you directly. Understand?”

Tim was confused even more. Vance had said they'd be using a fake. “But, Boss –” Tim began to offer his token protest.

“You got a hearing problem, McGee?” As Tim expected, his boss cut him off.

“Nossir. I'll get it to you with best possible speed.” Growing up with a Naval Officer for a father did teach him _some_ of the lingo.

“Good man.” Gibbs flicked the switch again, turning the elevator back on. He stood silently until the car climbed back up to the third floor and dinged as it opened. Then, he turned to him, gave that half-smile and said, “Oh, and McGee?” Tim quirked an eyebrow. “Don't spare the horses.”

Tim stepped out of the car with an amused smile on his own face, and sat down at his desk to get to work.


End file.
